Immediately after, palestinian media responded by reporting that the woman was shoot immediatly after taking the photo.

“During the Israeli bombardment and shelling of the Gaza Strip last summer, an Israeli soldier approached a 74-year-old Palestinian woman Ghalya Abu-Rida to give her a sip of water. He gave her the water, took a photo with her and then he shot her in the head from a distance of one metre. He then watched as she bled to death, the Palestine Information Centre reported.”

They have also disseminated images like the following:

Photo: http://www.israellycool.com

While the women seemsw to be the same one being given the drink, this is no proof of her death, as she could be sleeping. Also there seems to be no wound or blood being visible, as one would expect from being shot in the head from one meter as claimed. Since Thomas Wictor identified the soldiers‘ weapon as an X95 Micro Tavor, a shot to the whole head wouldn’t leave any head to photograph, splattering the soldier with blood and head parts in the process.

No mention of her supposed name prior to the publication of the original photo

As israellycool.com found out, a Google search of her name reveals all the reports of her being shot at close range originate after Avichay Adraee posted on January 2nd the photo. But her death supposedly occurred on August 3rd.

Morning – Evening Paramedics and civil defence forces recovered 10 bodies, including Ghalia Abu Rida and nine resistance fighters from the rubble of destroyed houses in Khuza’a and Absan al-Kabira. They were killed following the shelling of the area.

– In the morning, medical crews recovered the bodies of a woman and 9 members of Palestinian armed groups from the debris of destroyed homes in Khuza’a and ‘Abassan villages. The woman was identified as Ghalia al-‘Abed Abu Raida.

That means a death of a person with that name is only reported in connection with an IDF shelling of Khan Younis on August 3rd, 2014.

That would mean all reports of her death mysteriously waited 5 months before being published

Additionally, Ghalia’s name does not even appear on the Gaza Health Ministry casualty list, and it is highly unlikely it would appear as ‘unidentified’, given the name was mentioned elsewhere.

Verdict: Fake News

It seems to be fake news created to demonize Israel. If Ghalia was killed (which is not certain), it would seem to have happend during a rocket strike. The story was manipulated to counter the kind gesture of the published photo and to discredit israeli forces.